The giraffe is now vulnerable to extinction, according to the latest update to IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species. The update moves the giraffe from its previous designation of “least concern” to the “vulnerable” category, affirming that one of Africa’s most beloved wildlife species is being threatened by extinction. IUCN, a widely recognized authority on the status of the natural world, made the announcement during the 13th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

In recognizing the important economic and social development transition that Africa is making, and the central role that natural resources management and conservation plays, the African Union Commission and the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), have signed a memorandum of understanding.